What Are Your Thoughts on SA Revolvers?

Howdy Again

Sorry, when I have handled the Rough Rider, they just felt cheap to me. Go ahead, call me a snob. Look at that video and see the huge gap around the frame and the grip frame. Compare that to a Ruger Single Six. Compare the two first hand and you will see the difference.

You get what you pay for.

I have a lot of handguns. My single action revolvers are my favorites. I have one or more in every popular caliber. I have owned a Rough Rider. Mine was junk, though that is a sample size of one. I have also owned a couple of Ruger Single Sixes in 22. IMHO they are MUCH better revolvers. If you are patient you can find a used one with finish wear for not much more than a Rough Rider.

SA revolvers are much more fun in larger calibers, though. For inexpensive shooting with factory ammo, a Ruger Blackhawk "convertible" in 45colt/45acp is hard to beat.

Rocketmedic said:

Picked up a Rough Rider with both cylinders today.

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Congrats. Let us know how it shoots and how you like the single action rimfire experience.

aarondhgraham said:

Okay, a skilled person can fire a SA revolver very quickly,,,
I've been to enough SASS shoots to see that.

But what if you can't use both hands?

I grew up shooting a Colt Frontier Scout,,,
Honestly, when I was 14 years old I had "gunslinger" skills.

But all speed went away if I tried shooting it with one hand,,,
Without the left hand cocking the hammer,,,
It was much slower that a DA revolver.

Reloading is another factor though,,,
SASS shooters don't do "fast" reloads at all.

Due to their practice they do "faster" reloads than other shooters,,,
But it's still nothing I would call "fast".

I believe that people who carry an SA for self defense,,,
Are doing it purely because they want to.

That's as valid a reason as there is to be able to do something,,,
I just can't understand why they even try to justify it as anything other than their personal preference.

Aarond

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SASS shooters would not be so impressive without their pop gun reloads and custom actions so delicate they might not even be safe to carry. These are race guns with short stoke actions. As far as shooting one handed versus two handed, the one-handed shooter is typically running a gun in each hand, so the rate of fire is the same, if cocking one while firing the other. They also use custom hammers to facilitate one handed cocking.

My first weapon was a single action revolver. My grandpa gave me a Colt Frontier Scout in nickel with .22LR and .22Mag cylinders. When I moved to my first place this was my weapon for with the .22mag cylinder and hollow point loads. Now I still have to Colt but have picked up a Ruger Vaquero in .45 LC, a Ruger Single Six with .22LR and .22 Mag cylinders. But there is one single action I actually carry quite a bit when I am out working around the house or out and about on our property. It is an old Virginian Dragoon in .44 magnum with a. It was bought years ago for $275 used. It was not a safe queen but in good condition. I carry it on an empty chamber, since it has no safety block. The first round is a snake shot load and the rest hunting loads as I encounter rattlers, copperheads, black bears and the occasional two legged critter and as I live in the sticks, I am on my own if they happen to be hostile in nature. My youngest son has laid claim to the Ruger Single Six and my oldest to the Colt. I really enjoy shooting the Dragoon. With it's weight and barrel length it is quit controllable with one handed shooting and accurate.

RealGun said:

SASS shooters would not be so impressive without their pop gun reloads and custom actions so delicate they might not even be safe to carry. These are race guns with short stoke actions. As far as shooting one handed versus two handed, the one-handed shooter is typically running a gun in each hand, so the rate of fire is the same, if cocking one while firing the other. They also use custom hammers to facilitate one handed cocking.

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The recoil of a full load would make a difference yes but that isn't really the point. Because it has the same effect in any platform. The point is that top level CAS shooters show us just how quickly a single action can physically be manipulated.

I'd also love to know what makes them "delicate"??? Particularly knowing how many thousands of rounds per year are put through them. Typically these guns have an action job like any traditional gun 'should' have for longevity and it does good for anything else as well. A smooth action facilitates the short stroke action. I don't see how it would be a safety issue, especially if you're a CAS shooter that lives and breathes with the damned things.

RealGun said:

SASS shooters would not be so impressive without their pop gun reloads and custom actions so delicate they might not even be safe to carry. These are race guns with short stoke actions. As far as shooting one handed versus two handed, the one-handed shooter is typically running a gun in each hand, so the rate of fire is the same, if cocking one while firing the other. They also use custom hammers to facilitate one handed cocking.

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Howdy Again

Have you ever actually attended a SASS match? Your statement is so full of errors that I doubt you have. Perhaps you got all your incorrect information from watching You Tube videos. The problem with You Tube videos is they usually only show the very fastest shooters, they seldom show the average shooter.

"custom actions so delicate they might not even be safe to carry."

Incorrect. Although many SASS firearms have been slicked up to reduce internal friction, and have lighter than normal springs, none of them are unsafe to carry. Simply not true.


"As far as shooting one handed versus two handed, the one-handed shooter is typically running a gun in each hand, so the rate of fire is the same, if cocking one while firing the other."

Again, incorrect. Most one handed shooters are shooting their revolvers what we call Duelist style. That means the gun is held with one hand, and the hammer must be cocked by the thumb of the hand holding the gun. After emptying the first revolver, the shooter then shoots his second revolver, again, one handed. It is not physically possible to fire a single action revolver this way anywhere near as fast as when holding it with two hands and thumbing the hammer with the off hand thumb. Regarding the bit about a gun in each hand, there are two shooting styles that allow this. One is called Double Duelist. When shooting Double Duelist, the shooter must fire one handgun, one handed, then he fires his second handgun, with the opposite hand, again one handed. Again, not physically possible to fire at the same rate as a shooter holding the gun with one hand and cocking the hammer with the offhand thumb. Lastly, there is what we call Gunfighter Style. This is the only time a shooter is allowed to have two handguns out at once. The Gunfighter shooter must alternate shots with one hand and then the other. Again, not physically possible to shoot this style as fast as a guy holding the gun with two hands. Just physically impossible. Although Gunfighter is becoming more popular, the regular Duelists still outnumber them quite a lot.


"They also use custom hammers to facilitate one handed cocking."

Yes, some shooters do have hammers that have been modified within the rules. But not all shooters have modified hammers on their sixguns.



"SASS shooters would not be so impressive without their pop gun reloads"

Come attend a match sometime and I will let you try my Colts with 250 grain bullets and a full charge of FFg Black Powder. I challenge you to call them pop gun loads.

Rocketmedic said:

Any thoughts on the High Standards?

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You said they're snubs...possibly Sentinels? High Standard revolvers are generally quality little shooters. $250 sounds fair-good for a high standard snub depending on condition.

Edit: I see you said "never been fired" condition. If the bluing is all there, I'd say $250 sounds pretty dang good. Sell the M44 to fund it. Good excuse to ditch a Taurus.

A lot of opinions on this one and I have several as well. Depending on the intended use a SA Ruger is as effective for the first 6 shots as anything out there. Coupled with the fact that the vast majority of those guns are in Major Calibers, and getting hit by a 250 gr .44 or .45 cal. slug will certainly ruin your day, they should not be looked down on for defensive purposes. You just have to be able to hit your target with one of the first six shots! With practice this becomes a no brainer. If you shoot Cowboy you will get the practice in both accuracy and gun handling to be able to execute when needed.

I have a BH Bisley in .44 Special and a SBH Bisley in .44 Magnum, and can hit a 200 meter Ram off a rest with both with decent regularity. Inside 25 yards I can hit a paper plate every single time from the holster in less than 2 seconds. I'm faster with a Glock, but still faster than most with the Rugers.

I also have a NAA Pug in .22 RFM. I made it out of my Mini Master cuz they are not allowed in CA now. I tend to have it along with me more than any of my other guns. Something to be said about a 8 oz gun that fits into your pocket. It has a Black Widow Grip on it so I can hold onto it better and is actually quite usable out to 10-15 yards.

Since I cut the barrel off myself I also completely dehorned and deburred this gun so it doesn't snag on anything and feels good in my hands.

The Sticky Holster holds the gun in your pocket very nicely.

Randy

I'm glad the NAA revolvers were brought up again. As a side note to the merits of the SA vs a Modern revolvers, I have to say these little guns CAN be combat accurate.

I purchased a 2" barrel (or nearly so) Wasp in .22 magnum from the LGS the other day. Now, I'm not a good shot and snub nose .38's have vexed me for years when it comes to passable accuracy. That said, at 5-7 yards I was keeping 5 30gr pills in a fist size group as fast as I could thumb the hammer and depress the trigger off hand. Not a spectacular headshot nor would it win me any awards, but the idea that the little NAA are mostly spray and pray and not very accurate is false. I got these results the first time I shot the gun and the Wasp has basically no rear sights and only a small bead for a front sight.

I'll still be carrying my LCP II, but the little Wasp has shown to be a viable back up. I look at it as something along the lines of a "dedicated defensive pocket knife that goes bang instead of cuts". It's for the most close up of close up work. I don't think anyone wants to be shot with a .22 magnum center mass from 5 yards away any more than they want to get shanked.

My thoughts on SA,is I need to buy one first.

I'm late to this party but I'll offer a few observations. First, I would feel better armed with my 3" USFA Sheriff's Model 45 Colt (with only 5 rounds loaded to be safe) than with one of those NAA 22s (LR or MAG, either one). Second, I would feel better armed with the above mentioned Sheriff's Model than with a 5-shot, J-frame S&W or other comparable 5-shot 38 Special Revolver. I can't shoot those little guns worth a hoot because my hands are too big. If I put a grip on it that fits me it's about the size of a K-frame.

So, do I carry the Sheriff's Model? No I don't because I have other weapons I'm more practiced with and they are more concealable (although they are 45 caliber - smile). But if put in a situation where all I had to carry was the USFA I wouldn't feel unprotected and frankly I'd be more comfortable than an earlier poster who said his 380 auto was adequate. To each his own.

Dave

If1HitU said:

My thoughts on SA,is I need to buy one first.

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That's the spirit!

Rocketmedic, it's unfortunate you have to wade through so much side-arguing to see the posts meant for you. Glad you took the plunge on the HRR, and I hope you're as pleased with it as I am with mine so far.

What "M44" is it you're thinking of trading away for the High Standard? The only one I can think of offhand is the Mosin-Nagant, and I would not make such a trade, as I feel the MN would continue to increase in value more so than the HS.

If I did come across one of the High Standards in near-new condition as you describe for that price, I'd probably pick it up. But I wouldn't trade a "collectible-investible" gun toward it.

EDIT: I see someone else says your "M44" is a Taurus. Making that trade, for me at least, would depend on how much I got out of that revolver. For me, it probably wouldn't be much.

Rocketmedic said:

Any thoughts on the High Standards?

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I think you should get one of the DA revolvers When you look it over, if it dry-fires smoothly and locks up correctly on each cylinder, for the price, it sounds like a great first DA. I am not familiar with the brand, but find DA shooting just as much fun as SA

Rocketmedic

If those High Standard Sentinels are of the Mk.I (.22LR), or Mk.IV (.22 Magnum), series, then they're a pretty decent deal at $250. Back in the mid '70s High Standard did some redesigning of the original Sentinel line-up, giving the Mk.I and Mk.IV a bit of a face lift with steel frames, 2", 3", or 4" shrouded barrels, wraparound walnut grips, and either a blued or electroless nickel finish. These made for great little take anywhere Kit Guns and were really well made.

^^ So, I was right? It's a Mosin? Yeah, don't trade that away on a .22 anything. I'm still licking myself for letting a MN M44 get by me a year ago. That was the last one I've seen, and it was marked $400.

I had a Heritage in 17 HMR, it was a fun, accurate and inexpensive revolver. I found out I just wasn’t that into SA and much prefer double action revolvers and fortunately the Heritage let me find that out without having to spend much money.